''Saravá'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by N. Richard Nash and music

Mitch Leigh Mitch Leigh (born Irwin Stanley Michnick; January 30, 1928March 16, 2014) was an American musical theatre composer and theatrical producer best known for the musical '' Man of La Mancha''. Early years Leigh was born Irwin Stanley Michnick in B ...

. The musical was based on the book '' Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands'' by Brazilian writer

Jorge Amado Jorge Amado ( 10 August 1912 – 6 August 2001) was a Brazilian writer of the modernist school. He remains the best-known of modern Brazilian writers, with his work having been translated into some 49 languages and popularized in film, includi ...

, published in 1966.

Synopsis

Set in Salvador,

Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...

, the musical starts with the sudden death of Dona Flor's husband, Vadinho, who collapses in the midst of Carnival celebrations. After a period of mourning, Dona Flor attracts another admirer, a local pharmacist, Teodoro. While her new husband lacks the passionate sensuality of Vadinho, he compensates by providing a life free of worry. But, on the first anniversary of her marriage, Vadinho returns. He is now a ghost, but has lost none of his old ways.

History

The musical started its try-out period at the Colonial Theatre in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. It ran from December 25th 1978 to January 6th 1979, being cut short by a week due to poor reviews and low tickets sales. The

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

production opened at the

Mark Hellinger Theatre The Mark Hellinger Theatre (formerly the 51st Street Theatre and the Hollywood Theatre) is a church building at 237 West 51st Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, which formerly operated as a cinema and Broadway th ...

on January 11, 1979, and moved to

Broadway Theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, American and British English spelling differences), many of the List of ...

on March 1, 1979, where it closed after 101 performances and 38 previews. It ran for a total of 177 performances.

Original cast and characters

Song list

;Act I *"Saravá" - Vadinho, Flor and Others *"Makulelé" - Manuel, Costas, Vadinho and Arigof *"Vadhino Is Gone" - Flor *"Hosanna" - Flor and Others *"Nothing's Missing" - Teo and Flor *"Nothing's Missing" (Reprise) - Flor *"I'm Looking for a Man" - Dionisia and Others *"A Simple Man" - Teo *"Viva a Vida" - All ;Act II *"Muito Bom" - Flor, Teo and Others *"Nothing's Missing" (Reprise) - Flor and Teo *"Play the Queen" - Flor, Vadinho, Arigof and Others *"Which Way Do I Go?" - Flor *"Remember" - Vadinho *"A Simple Man" (Reprise) - Teo *"You Do" - Dionisia and Others *"A Single Life" - Vadinho *"Vadhino Is Gone" (Reprise) - Flor *"Saravá" (Reprise) - Company

Reception

The production received generally mixed reviews with the Daily News calling it "polished" but "without inner energy" and

The Journal News ''The Journal News'' is a newspaper in New York State serving the New York counties of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam, a region known as the Lower Hudson Valley. It is owned by Gannett. History ''The Journal News'' was created through a ...

saying the "exotic" performance of actress

Tovah Feldshuh Terri Sue "Tovah" Feldshuh (born December 27, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and playwright. She has been a Broadway star for fifty years, earning four Tony Award nominations. She has also received two Emmy Award nominations for ''Holoca ...

kept the musical running "longer than it deserved."

Awards and honors

Original Broadway production

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saravá 1979 musicals Broadway musicals Original musicals Musicals based on novels Musicals set in Brazil